Severe drought takes heavy toll on Vietnamese province

Sunday, April 08, 2018, 18:46 GMT+7

Drought is taking its toll on the lives and production of local farmers as their crops and cattle are struggling to survive the harsh climate.

Due to the combine effects of limited rainfall in late 2017 and harsh weather over the past month, reservoirs in the province are drying up, leaving little to no water resources for plants and animals.

The Phuoc Nhon Lake in Phuoc Trung Commune, Bac Ai District is drying up due to severe drought. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Dong Day and Tham Du Villages in Phuoc Trung Commune, Bac Ai District, are in the center of the drought.

Only a few puddles of water remain in the Phuoc Nhon Lake, which plays a crucial role in the two localities.

Local residents are forced to dig their own ponds to find fresh water, which does not always guarantee success.

A resident pumps water out of a pond he has dug. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Starving herds of cows and sheep are a common scene here as there are barely any grass and drinking water for them.

In Nhon Hai Commune, Ninh Hai District, locals have been able to ride their motorcycles across the Ong Kinh Lake having dried up.

Numerous pumps are set up to collect water from the Ong Kinh Lake in Ninh Hai District. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Farmers have been driving their cattle to the bottom of the lake to look for the very last drops of water.

According to Nguyen Huu Moc, a local resident, the lake dried up about a month ago.

Moc has been digging ponds and drilling wells in order to fine water for his grape garden.

A man rides his motorbike in the middle of the Ong Kinh Lake. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Dying sheep

Sheep farmers in Ninh Thuan are taking all kinds of measures to save their animals from dying due to the lack of water.

A herd of sheep in Ninh Thuan Province. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Kato Thi Ninh, a local farmer, said she had to transport fresh water over a five-kilometer journey to feed her sheep on a daily basis.

Five of Ninh’s sheep have recently died.

Sheep eat grass at the bottom of the Ong Kinh Lake. Photo: Tuoi Tre

About 20 sheep in the herd of Nguyen Thi Thuan in Dong Day Village have also been killed by the extreme conditions.

Tran Cao Hoa, another farmer, stated he had to keep a close watch on his herd of about 1,000 sheep every day.

A pregnant sheep dies from the lack of water and food. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Hoa has lost nearly 100 of his animals.

Dao Thi Hang, who works for Hoa, said she had to pour water into baby bottles and feed them to the weaker sheep, or they would not survive.

Many sewers along the streets in Ho Chi Minh City have their entrances blocked by garbage on a regular basis, negatively impacting urban esthetics and the environment while helping cause serious flooding.

Despite the sweltering weather in Hanoi these days, many young people still flock to lotus ponds surrounding the capital city’s iconic Ho Tay (West Lake) to pose for Instgram-ready photos with a sea of blooming flowers.